Claus Eriksen is not just anyone and he is probably the most talked about person in Danish sea trout fishing. Whether it is about the fishing films Sea Trout Secrets 2-4-6 or the hundreds of articles he has written in fishing magazines. [Translated]
Denmark’s Compleat Angler, Claus Eriksen
By Skip Clement
Grete Paulson, Angie Roth’s partner in crime [former attorney] and my often angling partner, joined our fly-tying group a few months ago after moving back to Atlanta from Alberta, Canada.
Our loosely coalesced fellowship of fly fishers belonging to the earliest examples of the ‘Silent Generation’ [1928 through 1945] share a predilection towards curiosity and familiarity with hardship, all of which allowed us all to embrace fellow time traveler Grete.
Grete has active relationships with her family members in Denmark. Two siblings are addicted to fly fishing for coastal trout and Salmo salar, and they are fairly well known in Denmark’s angling circles. Grete is a well-practiced fly fisher, capable of teaching conventional casting and spey casting, and as a fly tyer, predominantly a tube proponent.
Pattegrisen Original – tied by Jesper Lindquist Andersen.
The Pattegrison fly goes viral
In 2013, Martin Joergensen’s Global FlyFisher Newsletter profiled Danish angler Claus Eriksen, who was already a well-known personality in the Scandinavian fly fishing community:
1. Book author
2. Contributor to many magazines, books, and videos
3. Fly tying and originating new patterns
4. Featured speaker at fly fishing and outdoor fishing events
5. Managing Director of Go Fishing fly shop in Denmark . . .
That said, Claus’ 2005 invention of the now world-famous Pattegrisen [Pink Pig] shrimp fly drew Joergensen’s attention. By March 2013, the Pattegrisen fly was catching almost anything that could swim and breathe in saltwater, freshwater, or brackish water. The Pattegrisen, generally tied on a #10 hook for sea trout [see video for recipe] or on similarly sized tubes, has become one of the most relied-on flies in Europe.
The Pattegrisen fly is distinguished – sharing universality celebrity status with Russell Blessings Woolly Bugger
In the tubed-tied version, the additional advantage versus the hook-tied is using any hook size, no matter the fly size or hook style, and the option to change out hooks without replacing the fly itself. Those advantages were never lost on Europeans or most US and Canadian west coast steelhead and salmon spey fishers.
Use of the Pattegrisen fly for trouts, walleye, tarpon, grayling, basses, pike, snook, permit, and other game fish species remains parochial.
You can follow Claus on Facebook . . .
Jesper Lindquist Andersen and Claus Eriksen.
